Cessna 172N accident near Mesa, Arizona, August 23, 2002
On August 23, 2002 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4796E, was destroyed in an accident near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An electrical fire of unknown origin centered near the circuit breaker/throttle area of the instrument panel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2002 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4796E · no longer on the register · serial 17271661
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot observed smoke and flames in the circuit breaker/throttle area of the instrument panel during the takeoff initial climb about 100 feet above the ground. He called out the fire to the certified flight instructor (CFI), who then took over the flight controls and landed on the remaining runway. The airplane came to a stop in an open area beyond the departure end of the runway. Prior to exiting the airplane the CFI turned off the master switch, avionics master, magnetos, fuel selector, and he pulled the mixture to idle cutoff. After the occupants exited the airplane it became engulfed in flames. Both the CFI and the student reported that the landing light circuit breaker had been tripped. The CFI had attempted to reset the circuit breaker, but it would not reset. Due to the extensive fire damage to the instrument panel and circuit breakers, the landing light circuit breaker was not identified and a determination could not be made as to the ignition area of the fire.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,538 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 2,403 as pilot in command; 1,480 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 4 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2002; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04R, 5,102 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from FFZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.